Shigatse Climate

Three different regional climates exist in Shigatse. The area north of the Himalayas and south of the Kangdese-Nyianqentanglha has a warm, semi-dry monsoon highland climate; a small area north of the Kangdese-Nyianqentanglha ranges has a sub-cold, dry or semi-dry monsoon highland climate; and south of the Himalayas has a warm, semi-humid monsoon highland climate.

Summer is usually mild and wet, and brings most of the annual rainfall. Winter is cold, dry and windy.

The general characteristics of the climate in Shigatse can be summarized in the following:
1) Thin air, low barometric pressure and thin oxygen.
2) Strong solar radiation, with 3,300 hours of sunlight a year and intense ultraviolet rays.
3) Relatively low temperatures with large daily difference but small annual difference _ the average yearly temperature in the western cold region being zero while in the eastern warm region being 6.5 degrees centigrade. The average daily temperature differential in the northwest is 16 degrees centigrade while in the east it is 14 degrees.
4) Clearly divided dry and monsoon seasons. From October to April is the dry and windy season with low temperature and less than 10 percent of the yearly rainfall; from May to September, it is rainy, warm and humid, with over 90 percent of the yearly rainfall. Many night storms and hail activity occupy about 70 to 80 percent of the rainfall during this season. Rainfall is irregular, with 200 to 430 mm in the east and less than 200 mm in the northwest. The eastern area rains fall earlier than the western area, and the yearly rainfall of the eastern part differs largely from year to year.
5) A frost-free period of more than 120 days, with snowfalls mainly in the southern part of Pagri in Yadong, Myalam and Tingri.
6) Yadong, Zham, Gyilung, Chengtang and Rongxa counties on the southern slopes of the Himalayas share a sub-tropical, alpine climate. It is warm year round with plenty of rain. The annual rainfall is around 1,000 mm and the average daily temperature in the warmest season is 18 to 22 degrees centigrade.